Device for feeding insulator cards



March 12, 1957 c. J. RoAcH 2,784,966

DEVICE FOR FEEDING INsULAToR CARDS Filed May 9, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet l /A/VNTO/P CJ. ROAcH ATTORNEY March 12, 1957 c. J. RoAcl-i 2,784,966

DEVICE FOR FEEDING INSULATOR CARDS Filed May 9, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 38' aa F/G. 7

F/GQZ 43 *7 24 l 20.\` J9) 1 'Z I a i l ff@ i so] ll Il', w ff' W as f H C. J. OACH March 12, 1957 c. J. RoAcH nEvrcE Foa FEEDING rNsULAToR CARDS I5 Shee'ts-Sheet 5 Filed May 9, 1952 Je F76 4 R m n m United States Patent DEVICE FGR FEEDING INSULATR CARDS Charles J. Roach, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 9, 1952, Serial No. 286,919

4 Claims. (Cl. 271-41) This invention relates to an article feeding device and more particularly to a device for feeding insulator cards onto successive card holders on an intermittently actuated conveyor of a machine for assembling `the cards with other articles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an effective and efficient device for feeding articles.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention as applied to an assembling machine having an intermittently actuated feed table with card holders thereon, a stack of cards is positioned in a magazine and rests on a plate and on one of a plurality of feed rollers which are actuated in timed relation to the indexing of the feed table and the lowermost card of the stack is advanced by the feed rollers into a discharge aperture in the plate and drops onto a holder on the feed table aligned therewith. A plurality of pins vertically reciprocated in timed relation to the actuation of said feed table serve to lower the stack of cards onto the feed roller to effect the feeding of the lowermost card from the stack and after the card being fed has been advanced a predetermined distance the pins serve to raise the stack of cards to prevent the feeding of more than one card onto each card holder.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the invention shown in connection with a card feed table of a card assembling machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the device taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the stack of cards in lowered position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the stack of cards in raised position;

Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view taken on the line L1*-4 of Figs. 2 and 3; p

Figs. 5 and 6 are detailed sectional views of the gearing taken on the lines 5-5 and 6-6, respectively, of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the article being fed.

Referring to the drawings the embodiment of the invention illustrated therein is adapted to feed at arcuate shaped insulating cards 10 (Fig. 7) onto successive card holders 12 mounted on an intermittently actuated feed table 14 of a machine for attaching the cards to other articles. The card holders 12 of the feed table 14 are each provided with a pair of pins 16 which are adapted to fit into a pair of apertures 18 in the insulator card 10 to accurately position and retain the card on the holder.

The feeding device 20 comprises a plate 22 suitably attached to the card assembling machine by a bracket 23 (Fig. 2). A stack of cards is placed in a magazine 24 mounted on the plate 22 and the bottom card 10 of the stack is adapted to be supported on the plate and in engagement with a feed roller 26 and is adapted to be moved by the feed roll 26, and feed rolls 28, 29, and 30 into vertical alignment with a discharge aperture 34 conforming to the outline of the cards 16 and through which aperture the card drops onto a holder 12 in alignment therewith. The magazine 24 comprises a vertical plate 36 and two vertically disposed rods 38 secured to the plate 36 by brackets 39, the plate 36 being secured to a bracket member 40 which is fastened to the plate 22 and serves to support the magazine 24 in fixed relation thereto. At each side thereof the plate 36 is provided with rails 42-42 which cooperate with the vertical rods 3S of the magazine to form a guideway for receiving a stack of the cards 1t) therein for vertical movement and a rib or rail 43 formed centrally on the plate 36 extends into the concave portion of the stack of cards and serves to prevent the incorrect positioning of the stack of cards in the magazine. A recess formed in the underneath side of the magazine supporting bracket 36 forms a guideway 45 for receiving the cards 10 as they are advanced by the rollers and serves to guide them into alignment with the discharge aperture 34 in the plate 22. The vertical plate 36 of the magazine is positioned with its lower end surface spaced from the upper surface of the plate 22 to form a continuation of the guideway 45 and the forward and lower edge 48 of the plate 36 serves as a gage to engage the second card from the bottom of the stack of cards and prevent its horizontal movement while the lowermost card ofthe stack is being advanced horizontally from the magazine. The plate 22, the supporting bracket 4l), and the vertical plate 36 are provided with suitable apertures or recesses for receiving the feed rollers and the shafts :associated therewith.

The rollers 26, 2S, 2? and 30 are mounted on shafts 50, 51, 52 and 53, respectively, which shafts are rotatably supported at opposite ends in suitable bearings formed in gear housings 56 and 57 mounted on the supporting plate 22 at opposite ends of the shafts. The rollers 26 and 29 are supported with their peripheries extending slightly above the upper surface of the plate 22 and the rollers 2S and 3i) are positioned above the plate 22 as indicated in Fig. 2. `Fixed to the lower feed roll shafts 26 and 29, are gears 66 and 61 which mesh with a gear 62 Xed to a shaft 63 mounted for rotation in suitable bearings in the gear housing 56. A gear 65 also fixed to the shaft 63 meshes with a rack 66 which is secured to one end of a piston rod 67 of a piston mounted for reciprocation within a cylinder 69 of a fluid motor 70 which is supported on the supporting plate 22. Air admitted to one end of the cylinder 69 through an air line 71 under control of a solenoid actuated valve '72 operated in timed relation to the actuation of the feed table 14 serves to advance the rack 66 and impart rotation to the shafts 26 and 29 in one direction. The piston is spring returned to rotate the shafts 26 and 29 in the reverse direction.

A gear 75 on the opposite or right-hand end of the shaft 52 (Figs. 3, 4 and 6) meshes with a gear 76 on the upper shaft 51 and a gear 73 on the shaft 53 is driven from the gear '76 through an intermediate idler gear 79 suitably joui-nailed for rotation in the housing 57. Thus, in response to the forward movement of the piston 67 the rollers are rotated in directions to act on the lowermost card of the stackland carry it from the magazine into a position above the discharge aperture 34 through which the card drops onto the card holder 12 positioned therebeneath.

The roller 26 is divided into two parts separated from each other axially on the shaft 5t) and the roller parts are positioned with a portion of the periphery extending above the upper surface of the supporting plate 22 to arenoso D engage portions of the bottom card of the stack and advance the card into engagement with and between the pair of cooperating rollers Edt-ind Z9 which are located along the center line of the card. The roller 3i) is also divided into two parts axially Vspaced from each other Y and positioned above the plate Z2 with portions of the roller overlying the aperture 3d for receiving the card from the feed rolls 28 and 29 and advancing the card along the upper surface of the plate 22 into alignment with the aperture 34. 1li in a horizontal position until the trailing edge thereof rides over the edge of the plate 22 into the aperture 34 so that the card ltd is positioned horizontally as it is released from the roller and as it drops onto the holder 12 positioned therebelovv.

Means are provided for raising the stack of cards from the roller 26 after the bottom card of the stack has been fed -a predetermined distance to prevent the feeding of more than one card onto the card holder. The 'stack raising and lowering mechanism comprises a plurality of pins 33 which extend upwardly from a plate or head 84 through clearance apertures in-theplate 22 and the upper ends of which pins are adapted to engage the bottom card of the stack. The head tid is secured to the upper end 'of a piston rod S5 of a piston vertically reciprocable in a cylinder 87 Vof a iiuid motor 88 which is supported from the plate 2.2 by a bracket 89. The piston 86 is spring returned to its Vlower position -and is moved to its upper position by compressed air admitted to the bottom of the cylinder through an air line 90 under control of an electrically operated air valve 91 actuated by any 'suitable means in timed relation t0 the actuation of the feed table 14.

In the operation of the device, for each indexing movement of the feed table Std a card holder l2 is moved into alignment with the discharge aperture 34 of the supporting plate 22, the iiuid motor "lil is actuated under control of the valve 72 to advance the rack 66 and cause the rotation of the feed rollers in one direction, as indicated by the `arrows in Fig. 2 to feed the bottom card from the stack of cards itl, which stack rests alternately on the pins 83 and on the roller 26 and plate 22. The roller 26 advances the card it) into the guideway 45 and into engagement with and between the rollers 28 and 29, which advance the card into engagement with the roller 30, which in turn presses the card against the upper surface of the Vsupporting plate 22 and advances it horizontallyabove and into the discharge aperture 34 through which the card falls onto the card holder '12 positioned therebeneath. During the initial portion Vof rotation of the feed rollers 26 the pins 'd3 are `retracted and the stack of cards Till is in its lower position with the lowermost card in engagement with the roller 26 and after the card being fed has moved suiiicient` for the trailing -edge thereof to pass over and clear the foremost ones of the lifting pins 83, the fluid motor 8S is actuated to raise the pins -83 andthe stack of cards 1t) to their upper position as shown in Fig, 3 and to hold the stack of cards'in their elevated position until the feeding movement of the rollers has been completed and until the rack 66 has been returned and causes the feed rollers to be rotated in the 'reverse direction to their initial position at the beginning of the feeding cycle. On return of the rollers to their initial position the fluid motor 8S is actuated to retract the lifting pins 83 and lower Ythe stack of cards onto the feed table preparatory to the feeding of the next insulator card.

It -is tobe understood that the above-described arrangements lare simply illustrative of the application yof the principles of this invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in Ythe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the'spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is: i

l. A device for feeding cards at a loading station'onto The roller 30 maintains the card successive card holders of `an intermittently actuated carrier comprising a plate for supporting said cards for substantially horizontal movement and having a vertical aperture disposed above a card holder at said loading station for the passage of said cards therethrough onto said holder, a magazine for guiding a stack of cards for movement onto said plate in spaced relation to said aperture, roller-means for advancing the bottom card of said stack from said magazine to said aperture comprising a roller disposed beneath said magazine and a stack of cards therein and engageable with the bottom card of said stack and a roller disposed above said plate adjacent to and extending partially over said aperture for pressing said card against 'and advancing it on said plate above and into said aperture in response to rotation of said roller means and for holding the card parallel to said plate as it enters said aperture, drive means for rotating said rollers to elfect the advance of successive ones of said bottom cards in said stack from said magazine to said aperture, lifting elements engageable with the bottom card in the stack, and means for moving said elements in timed relation to the rotation of said rollers to lower the stack of cards onto said roller beneath the magazine to effect the feeding of the bottom card of the stack and to raise the stack when the card being fed has advanced past said elements.

2. A devicefor feeding cards at loading station onto successive card holders of an intermittently actuated conveyor comprising a plate for supporting said cards for substantially horizontal movement and having a discharge aperture with vertical walls disposed above said card holder at said loading station for guiding a card onto said holder, magazine means for guiding a stack of cards onto said plate in spaced relation to said aperture, a plurality of rollers for advancing successive cards including a roller below the magazine means and a pressure roller disposed above the plate adjacent to and pantially above the discharge aperture, fluid operated reciprocable actuating means for rotating said rollers in one direction from a normal position to feed a card and in a reverse direction to return said rollers to said normal position, said pressure roller serving to advance and to press the card against the plate land maintain the card parallel thereto as the card enters the discharge aperture, a gage member cooperating with said plate to form a guideway of predetermined dimensions for receiving only indi-A vidual cards therein and guiding said cards Lto the aperture in said plate, a lifting element engageable with the bottom V,card in the stack in predetermined spaced relation Hto the edge thereof, fluid operated reciprocable actuating means for reciprocating Vsaid element `in timed relation to the movement kof said rollers to lower the stack of cards onto said roller below. the magazine-means to effect lthe feeding of the bottom card in the stack and to raise thestack when the card being fed has advanced past said element.

3. 4In 'a device for feeding cards having aligning perforations at a loading station onto aligning pins on suc cessive card holders of an intermittently actuated carrier, the combination Vof a magazine for holding a stack of the perforated cards, a plate for supporting said cards for substantially horizontal movement'and having avertical discharge aperture 'disposed above said card holder at said loading station and in spaced relation to said magazine for guiding a card onto said holder' and the laligning pins thereon, means for removing the lowermost card o'fisaid stack of cards, and means for advancing said card along said plate into said discharge aperture, said last mentioned means including a .roller disposed above saidplate adjacent to and extending partially over said aperture and having longitudinally directed peripheral card engaging portions disposed Vover the plate and over the aperture while engaging the card fo1-pressing said card against and advancing :it on said Vplate into said aperture and for holding the card parallel to said plate as it enters said aperture.

4. In a device for feeding cards ait a loading station onto successive card holders of an intermittently `actuated carrier, the combination of a magazine for holding a stack of cards, a plate for supporting said cards for substantially horizontal movement and having `a vertical discharge aperture disposed above a card holder at said loading station for guiding a card onto said card holder,

means for removing the lowermost card of said stack of 10 cards, means for advancing said card along said plate into said disch-arge aperture, said last mentioned means including a roller disposed above the plate and the aperture and having longitudinally directed peripheral card engaging portions disposed over the plate and over the aperture while engaging the card for pressing the card against the platte and advancing it parallel to said plate into said aperture, and means for stopping the movement of the card on the plate with the card in vertical alignment with the aperture.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Crowell Nov. 5, Pollard May 24, Cowles Nov. 22, Barbieri Nov. 2, Campbell Dec. 19, Hartley Nov. 13, Simpson Dec. 31, Lund July 20, Sickles Sept, 19, Maloney Feb. 6, Diejel Oct. 16, Black Dec, 18, Murdoch Oct. 27, 

